Sorry this took so long, but some upsetting stuff happened recently and it dampened my mood for writing.

Anyway, here is the next chapter and I hope you enjoy.

Thank you!

Amelia was not one for hair accessories (a quick tie up was usually the most she could manage), but Natalia's big white bow was strangely appealing to the young American. She found herself glancing at it every so often, wondering how it was attached so perfectly, not a hair out of line. Somehow, Amelia reckoned Natalia did not need to spend much effort on the piece – she probably just attached it and went on her way. Years of practice, perhaps. The American did not fully understand the reasoning behind this thought pattern, but did not let it hinder her attention on the siblings' conversation. She took a sip of the coke Ivan had ordered for her.

Natalia had greeted her big brother in a way Amelia found disturbing. She treated him almost like… an old lover. Her eyes drooped into a level somewhere beyond affection as she grabbed his arm and said in a low, Russian-drenched accent that she missed him so much, following that by expressing her hope that no girl had laid their hands upon him. Natalia had asked who the 'pipsqueak' was, prompting Amelia to react in a shriek. She would have told Natalia where to go, but Ivan had gently placed his arm in front of her and beckoned for the young girl to sit down. It was soon after they had got seated and Amelia was silenced with a fizzy drink did she start to pay attention to the little sister's hair bow.

'So, you are saying that you don't believe Arthur is in that house?' Ivan asked, reiterating a point Natalia had earlier made.

Natalia was a private detective like Ivan (but one with more 'shadowy' methods, Amelia had found out) and had been hired by Colin. She had been informed by her employer that if the time came, she was allowed to reveal to Amelia this very fact. Colin had apparently had his suspicions about Amelia hiring a detective of her own, but it was Natalia who had spotted her and Ivan the previous day that confirmed this.

'You mean,' Amelia had exclaimed, 'that Colin did-didn't kidnap Arthur like I thought?!'

'No, little girl,' Natalia had replied. 'At least, I have not found anything to suggest he did. Anyway, why would he hire me if he did?'

Amelia only looked to her drink, everything she had believed with such certainty now a pile of scrap in her brain. There were, of course, things she couldn't understand, but she pushed those things to the back of her mind for the time being.

'I have been doing more and more digging, brother, and I have reason to believe the Englishman is not where I initially thought he was. The activity of the occupants does not strike me as restricted or as though they are concealing something within those walls.' Natalia had informed them. 'I had given a note to Colin, suggesting my suspicions at first, but I have recently told him to scrap that.'

Amelia nodded to herself. That was why Colin had that note. She leaned over, emitting a soft sigh.

Thus the present was brought back to her.

'Brother…' Natalia said. When Ivan looked to her, waiting for her to continue, she lunged to him and hugged him 'I have missed you… so… much!'

Her voice was not affectionate, rather dangerous and aggressive. It was as though it could cut through bone. Amelia looked to Natalia's arms around Ivan's back, clutching his jacket with vice grip, and shuddered. Somehow, this affection seemed life-threatening. She understood the fear in Ivan's eyes prior to meeting her. For the first time, she felt sorry for the Russian.

'Natalia, please,' Ivan muttered, looking around as best he could to glance at Amelia. She only smiled back as sweetly as she could.

Natalia gave a low growl and peered round Ivan to see Amelia. The young American could only recoil slightly and give a weak and awkward smile. ''Sup?'

'This girl…' Natalia began, addressing Ivan while looking at Amelia, '… who exactly is she?'

'I'm Arthur's girlfriend,' Amelia responded as Ivan opened his mouth. 'I want to find him, so of course I hired Ivan.'

'Do not say his name in such a casual manner…!' she hissed. She threw herself in her brother's line of vision, a hand gripping both of his shoulders. 'Brother! You must not be taken in by this… this vixen…!'

Amelia only tilted her head. 'Whoa, dudette, I only want to find-'

'Silence…!' Natalia commanded. She stood up, having to drop to her feet since the bar stool was so high. Ivan was the focus of her attention once more. 'Brother, let's work on this case together. As one…!'

Amelia felt another shudder. It must have been the aura of Natalia. There was a blue chill about it. Nevertheless, Amelia could see the potential with this scary girl on their side – at least on Ivan's side. 'I think that's a totally cool idea! Natalia, with you on board, we'll definitely find Arthur.'

Natalia looked at Amelia, evidently considering what she had said. She adjusted her dress, smoothing out creases which did not exist in the first place, and cracked a smile. 'The girl has some brains, I see.'

Amelia pouted only for a second. 'So, will you really help us?'

'I will help brother.'

'Of course. Totally'

Ivan muttered under his breath and stood from his own stool. 'I guess we should plan our next steps, eh?'

Natalia's car was a rather expensive-looking piece, cleaned to a perfect shine. It was the same colour as her dress. Amelia was impressed as she got into the back seat. The siblings sat in the front and Natalia brought out a set of files from what appeared to be a locked pocket under her seat. She flicked through them and gave the appropriate one to Ivan, who read it over.

'I see,' he said. 'So this is how it is.'

'Yes,' Natalia looked to Amelia to include her in the conversation. 'These people you were spying on were only a fragment of an organisation. They do not have Arthur, I have established, but I believe they have him here.'

She pointed to something on the file Ivan was looking at.

'Really?' Ivan asked. 'That obvious?'

'What is it?' Amelia shuffled and leaned over Ivan to see what was on the paper. Natalia made a grunting sound. Amelia gulped and moved back, still pinning her eyes on the piece of paper. She had spotted something on it, taking note.

'He's in a more secluded part of the city. In the outskirts, if you will. In a mansion, no less. Part of the group is based there.' Natalia informed her.

'The… group?'

'It is a professional kidnapping organisation, that's what I call it. They will kidnap people for a small fee.' Natalia took the papers back and replaced them under the seat. 'Or indeed big fee.'

'That's totally crap! Who would…? I mean… Who hired them?' Amelia fell into her seat, feeling the tickle of a headache. 'If it wasn't Colin…'

'I will go to this place, and I will investigate. Brother, are you in?' Natalia's eyes sparkled with a creepy hope.

'Yes,' Ivan replied. He turned to Amelia. 'Let's get you home-'

Amelia's look stopped him.

'Please don't start crying…'

Amelia pouted and fidgeted with her sleeve. 'I won't… I mean, how could I?'

'This place is dangerous! Amelia! You could get hurt! Remember what happened last time?' Ivan's face clouded for a second.

As much as she hated to admit it, Ivan was right. 'Fine…'

'Good! It'll be big brother and me!' Natalia sang. Her voice was not made for gleeful song.

The siblings drove off in their own cars after Ivan dropped Amelia at the bus station. He promised to call when he got any news.

But Amelia would not need that call. She had caught sight of the address on the sheet of paper Natalia had given Ivan. It was an address the American was vaguely aware of in terms of direction. She scanned the timetable on the wall and selected a route that would drop her off close to the house.

As she waited, Amelia noticed it was getting dark. Her mother would soon worry, so she took out her phone. After a moment to think, Amelia texted, telling her mother that she would be staying overnight at a friend's house. After a number of texts back and forth confirming times and places, Amelia had her mother convinced. She smiled to the sky.

The bus came and dropped her off when the night had its fingers around dusk. The moon was visible and the clouds were blackening. The country road was eerie and there did not seem to be anyone else around. The house was only a two minute walk, she believed. Amelia followed the numbers and came to a break – a large house with no number. A stone-finished mansion with an unkempt garden. While wondering if this group really was that obvious, she spotted one car in the driveway. It was Ivan's. Amelia squeaked, but then covered her mouth with her hand and hid behind the hedge separating the drive from the street.

Her heart began to race. Parking on the driveway was not the way Ivan would have done it. She soon realised Ivan was not in the car. On top of that, where was Natalia's? Amelia glanced at the big building, searching for signs of life, even bodyguards, but there were none, not even a flicker of light behind a curtain.

What if Ivan was hurt? What if Arthur was in there?!

Amelia rushed forward, ducking as though that would lessen her visibility and noise level. She crept round the back, listening all the while. Not a noise. She slinked at the back, seeing more unkempt garden in the dull light. Weeds grew like arms from the ground. She juddered.

Then a noise was heard, like something breaking. Amelia spotted the back door and risked trying it. It was open. Her organs began to shake inside her. Limbs grew weak with anticipation. It took all her strength to resist calling out for Ivan or Arthur or both. Another noise. This time it was closer. She discovered she was in a utility room of sorts. There was a musty smell around her. She heard something foreign. It was a strong and aggressive Russian tone. Undoubtedly. Amelia's mind called out for Ivan. There was another crash and like a slap to the back this sent Amelia racing forward. The house was dark. Nothing could guide her.

'Ivan!' Amelia finally called as she burst into a room which held stairs on either side. It looked like a hallway of sorts. A few dim lights were casting a glow over the huge room. Ivan was in the middle of this room, people lying around him, unconscious. His scarf had been discarded somewhere and his hair was not in its typically neat fashion.

Her joy at seeing him alive was only momentary, as she saw a gash on the side of his forehead.

'Iv-'

'Amelia?! Get out of here! You stupid girl!' The Russian screamed.

A few more men emerged. They could well have been in the room the entire time, but Amelia had not noticed them.

Ivan knocked a few of them back with what appeared to be incredible strength. Two of them paid attention to Amelia. Her heart fell and she did the only thing she could think of doing. She ran. Without looking back, she rushed up the stairs into another world of shadow.

Amelia could not see in the darkness, but she knew someone was moving around her. She reacted to this sense too late, as a pair of hands clasped her wrists and forced them behind her. Amelia made to scream, but another hand clasped over her mouth. She attempted to bite and struggle, but it was futile. These were two strong men. Her hands were tied with a coarse rope which cut at her skin. Then a piece of material was tied over her mouth, and as the knot was made at the back of her head, some of her hair got caught in it, pulling and paining her.

They forced her up another small flight of stairs, Amelia kicking and fighting the entire way, and opened a door. One of them flung her onto something, a bed she soon realised. The room was still dark, but a shard of moonlight fell through a gap in the curtains. The door was slammed shut.

At first, Amelia thought she was alone, but the breathing of the two men could soon be heard over her own rapid heartbeat. They moved onto the bed beside her and one hoisted her hips into the air so her legs were bent at the knees. Amelia's eyes widened. She turned cold. The world fell silent for just a moment.

The other cupped her face with rough, foul hands. A zip came undone, then another. Amelia began to scream without sound. She thrashed her head from side to side, tears forming in her eyes. Her body began to tremor uncontrollably as though someone was shaking her themselves. The man behind her grabbed her hips roughly and hoisted them again, this time with more force. They were silently warning her they could easily do damage if she protested too much.

Amelia kept screaming, knowing full well nobody could hear her. Ivan could not. He had his own problems. All she was really doing was waiting until they began their sick ritual.

But it never began. The door burst open, Amelia could only tell by the new embrace of light into the room. Someone had turned the light on outside. Her ability to receive sound had escaped her. The two men around her were no longer there, and she fell on her side. She was still shaking.

Some sound came back. The sound of a man yelling and the sound of a scuffle. The sound of someone's cheek being punched.

Then silence again. A low light came on. There was someone talking, perhaps to themself, in a hurried and panicked voice. The rope around her wrists was undone and the cloth over her mouth was removed. A large coat was wrapped around her and she understood immediately who had saved her. The light cuts on her wrists stung against the air.

Ivan's arms wrapped around Amelia and he brought her tightly into him. They were sitting together on the bed and it seemed like such a different place. Ivan kept muttering things that Amelia only caught fragments of. She heard things like 'I'm sorry' and 'Amelia' and something she guessed was in Russian. Amelia looked up slowly and weakly to her saviour. His eyes were closed, but she couldn't mistake the ultimate sadness in them. He opened them to look down at her. He smiled and pressed his cheek to her cheek. She could feel the light stubble on his skin.

He was not yelling at her, telling her she should not have come. He wasn't telling her how stupid an American she was. All her was doing was comforting her.

'Ivan…' she muttered. 'Thank you…'

'Shh…'

She did so. After a few minutes, she wriggled around so that he would loosen his grip. He did so only slightly. Amelia took the little opportunity to gaze down at herself. Only her jacket had been unzipped. Her top was still on and so were her pants. They were unzipped, but the button was not undone. The men's intentions flooded back to her and she buried her face in Ivan's chest. His heartbeat was clear. Without much thought, she looked at his arms and wondered what training her undertook to get them in such peak condition.

'Ivan…?'

'Hm?'

'W-what happened to those guys?'

'I knocked them out specially. They won't come round for a few hours, I promise.' He patted her gently on the back. 'Amelia, I'm so sorry…'

She shook her head. 'This is not your fault. Besides, I'm fine…'

'T-They almost –'

'But they didn't. You saved me. Thank you.'

Amelia kissed Ivan on the cheek and the Russian finally smiled.

'Let's go,' he said. 'Natalia has Arthur back at the house.'

Amelia's heart began to fly. That was why her car was not there. 'Arthur?! Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!'

As she stepped off the bed, still cloaked in Ivan's jacket, she saw one of her attackers lying unconscious on the floor, face down. She recoiled, but was scooped up by Ivan, who hurried past his work and down the two flights of stairs, past more kidnappers lying lifeless. He brought her out and into his car. He put on the seatbelt for her and as he jumped into the driver's seat, he took a mobile phone from the side door pocket. He dialled and waited. As he did, Amelia saw his scarf on the passenger floor.

He greeted the receiver with a different accent, a Texan one, it seemed. 'Hey! I have heard an almighty ruckus in the house I have just walked past! I think there's been a fight of some sort! You have to send police down immediately! …Yes! Yes, thank you! That's right… Thank you so much… Please hurry!'

He hung up and smirked at Amelia before manoeuvring out of the driveway and away from that house.

'Ivan…' Amelia muttered as she snuggled into his coat. She ignored the pain in her wrists. 'Thanks again…'

'I am just glad for your safety. Oh, Amelia…'

'Yeah?'

'Remind me. I need to destroy that phone I just used.'

Phew! There we go! Again, sorry for the delay. I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can.

See you next time!